Her Mom Has Been Making Her Babysit Her Siblings Every Weekend, So She Stood Up To Her

By Bre Avery Zacharski Apr 02, 2026

If you live at home in your 20s, it's reasonable that your parents will want you to pitch in or even pay them rent. But how do you set boundaries with parents who think a roof over your head gives them permanent rights to your Saturday nights?

This 24-year-old woman lives at home with her mom, stepdad, and younger siblings, who are 10 and 8. She works 40 hours a week at a retail job while taking several night classes so she can save up enough money to get her own place.

As soon as she celebrated her 18th birthday, her mom started making her help out a ton with her siblings. It began with her picking her siblings up from school or watching them while her mom ran errands, but throughout the last year, it's turned into a lot more work than that for her.

Her mom expects her to babysit her siblings every single Friday evening, the majority of Saturdays, and throughout the week, on top of that, if her mom and stepdad plan date nights.

"I make dinner for my siblings, help them with their homework, and get them ready for bed. If I say no to babysitting, my mom acts like I am being selfish because family helps family," she explained.

Over this past weekend, she made plans to hang out with her friends. She was really excited to see them, but at the last moment, her mom said she had to cancel.

Apparently, her mom wanted to attend a party, which is why she tried to force her to stay home. She actually stood up to her mom and said she wouldn't do that.

She told her mom she's not a third parent to her siblings, and she's sick of having to sacrifice her social life to babysit kids who are not her responsibility.

"My mom got really upset. Said I should be grateful for everything they do for me since I still live at home. My stepdad agrees with my mom," she continued.

pretty young blonde woman standing in a field Countrypixel - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only, not the actual person

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"Now both of them are acting cold toward me. My younger siblings heard us arguing. Now I feel guilty because they think it is their fault."

I don't think it was fair of her mom to try to make her stay home at the last minute so that she could go out. She needs to sit down with her parents and come up with a more equitable arrangement, as they are turning her into another parent.

Maybe she can pay them rent, or do other things to make up for living there for free (which is what I'm assuming is the case, as she didn't state otherwise).

Also, she might be able to find a roommate and move out sooner to avoid all of the tension.

What advice do you have for her?

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By Bre Avery Zacharski Apr 02, 2026

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